ModChips | Software Hacks | Disc Swapping |
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The Grand Master of all PS2 hacks.
FMCB is a software hack that gets installed on the Memory Card of your PS2 and lets you run homebrew ELFs from it.
It doesn't cause any hard, it doesn't require opening the PS2 and the hack can be easily reverted by simply removing the Memory Card itself, but, how did it work?
To know how FMCB works we need to know one little known fact about the PS2: it was originally meant to be upgradeable by means of the Memory Card. It was simple, you insert an official Sony update disc into the system, it installs on the memory card and your PS2's system menu is updated with new features and bug fixes, we can also assume it patches exploits.
The idea was quickly scraped by Sony due to obvious reasons: it's so easy to downgrade! all you have to do is change the memory card, and the update was also tied to your system, which prevented the second hand market of memory cards, and back then Sony wasn't that draconian. Fact is that only one actual update was issued, and it may still be floating around the interwebs.
Even though Sony never ended up using the PS2's ability to be updated from the MC, they never really removed such features from their console, not even slimline models. You can now guess how FMCB work, right? it's simple, it tricks the PS2 into thinking it's a valid update from Sony, therefore patching the entire browser. One thing to note is that, although the updates where originally intended to work only on the system they were applied to, FMCB managed to patch this, so you can install it on a PS2 and use them on another, as long as they have the same region.
Unfortunately Sony released an updated PS2 model that is no longer upgradeable through the Memory Card, rendering FMCB non-installable in SCPH-9000X models.
There are only two problems with Free MC Boot: the installer needs to be executed somehow, so you must already have a way to run ELFs, Swap Magic and another trick I'll explain later will work just fine, and it does not allow you to play backup games, as FMCB only patches the browser to be able to execute ELF files, but does not patch the CDVD drive to circumvent its security measures, for that there's another clever hack.
by Acid_Snake | wololo.net/10-days-of-hacking
Tutorials & Guides Compilation
[GUIDE] Official Free McBoot Homepage + Tutorials and Download
[Youtube] How to Install FMCB for PS2 Slim (Or fat) (via PPM)
[Tutorial] How To Install OpenPS2Loader and link it to the Menu (via interestingelectronics.net)
(OpenPS2Loader lets you play backup games in ISO format directly from USB, Network or HDD)Frequently Asked Questions
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Can my hacked memory card work on other PS2s?
Yes as long as you selected the "mutli version install" tab for installing FMCB.
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